LG unveils smartphone-controlled appliances

LG has unveiled a series of smart appliances that will be “controlled” by smartphones and can do things like monitor both their electrical consumption and food consumption, reveals Consumer Reports.org.

They can even suggest recipes based on what is in the fridge. The new LG smart washers can also let a TV know when they are done washing clothing, alerting users that they are needed in the laundry room.

“We first previewed our smart appliances at CES a year ago, and the line-up has evolved considerably since then,” says Moon-bum Shin, executive VP and CEO of LG Electronics Home Appliance Company.

Online game maker Zynga has lured away an executive from rival Electronic Arts, writes the Associated Press.

The hiring of Barry Cottle, announced yesterday, underscores the escalating rivalry between rapidly growing Zynga and Electronic Arts, a video game stalwart. Cottle, 50, had been overseeing Electronic Arts' push into mobile and online gaming for the past four years.

The diversification beyond packaged video games has paid off. In a memo sent to Electronic Arts' employees yesterday, CEO John Riccitiello said the company's digital revenue surpassed $1 billion for the first time last year.

Barclays Bank has revealed plans to cull over 400 staff working in its technology and infrastructure group as part of a restructuring plan designed to boost efficiencies and innovation, reports Computing.co.uk.

The 422 staff form less than 1% of Barclays' 57 000-strong UK workforce, and the firm was quick to point out that it will try to redeploy affected staff in other roles.

It will also offer voluntary redundancy packages to all in a bid to minimise the number of compulsory redundancies.

Hulu, the online TV service, plans to spend $500 million on programmes this year after paid subscribers surpassed 1.5 million in 2011, according to Bloomberg.

Revenue last year totalled $420 million, the Los Angeles-based company said on its Web site. The company predicted in April that 2011 sales would approach $500 million.

Hulu is signing up twice as many subscribers every day as it was a year earlier, Jason Kilar, CEO, said in the statement.